China brings home couple in killing of Chinese diplomats in Philippines for trial

In this photo taken Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, police escort a Chinese man, allegedly the husband of a Chinese consul who is a suspect in the fatal shooting of two Chinese diplomats and the wounding of the consul-general, prior to being deported back to China from Cebu city in central Philippines. On Saturday, Oct. 24, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said, a Chinese consular officer and her husband, who allegedly killed two other Chinese diplomats and wounded their consul-general in a Philippine city, have been taken back to China where they will be tried. (AP Photo)
(The Associated Press)

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine officials say a Chinese consular officer and her husband, who allegedly killed two other Chinese diplomats and wounded their consul general, have been taken back to China where they will be tried.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine police turned over the couple to Chinese authorities who flew them to Xiamen in southeastern China on a chartered flight from central Cebu City Friday, two days after the fatal shooting inside a restaurant.

Police say the consul's husband has been accused of killing diplomats Sun Shan and Hui Li and wounding Consul-General Song Ronghua Wednesday at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Cebu.

Jose says the Chinese government invoked diplomatic immunity for the couple under the 1961 Vienna Convention and a 2009 bilateral accord between Beijing and Manila.